One Piece: Adventure at Ningyou Shima!
by IconofSelfIndulgence
Summary: After weeks without food, the Mugiwara Kaizoku-dan manage to find themselves at an island where they are considered guests. Problem is, the king of the island just wants Luffy's head! R&R Possible LxN, FxR, ZxS. R
1. Food!

_One Piece: Adventure at Ningyou Shima!_

_Chapter 1_

_Food!_

"Meat." whined the ever so hungry captain. Luffy rested his head against the table in the galley and sniffled. "Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat! Saaaanji …"

Sanji, slightly annoyed, looked over to the captain of the _Mugiwara Kaizoku_. "… Luffy," He spoke softly, letting a light sigh leave his lips, "we have no more food. Stop whining." And it was the truth, the tangerines were running out, and the crew was out of food. It had been weeks already since Luffy had finished the last of the food. Sanji had managed to make all of the different dishes possible with tangerines, but it was not enough. Living off tangerines was not suitable anymore.

"Meat!" Luffy demanded, slamming his hand against the table. Sanji looked ready to murder his captain when he glanced back to the younger boy. Before he could retort anything, someone else spoke up.

"_Ussei_, Luffy!" Roronoa Zoro called from the floor of the galley, "I can't get any sleep with you whining about food. It's bad enough that we have nothing to eat. You don't need to make things worse by whimpering about it." His eyes were closed, and then he said nothing else.

"Exactly. Now shut up, so the _Marimo_ can get his sleep." Sanji glared to Luffy. Not only did they not have food, but Sanji had run out of cigarettes a few days earlier. Without them, the cook was, dare the narrator say, bitchy.

Outside of the galley, the two ladies of the crew were sitting in their lounge chairs. Nami was laying on her stomach so that her back could get a tan, while Robin was sitting under the umbrella. A book was in the archaelogists hands. These two did not seem phased by the lack of food. Then again, both knew that it was better to not make matters worse by complaining. Robin thought it was amusing enough to see Luffy whine, and Nami decided that annoying Sanji when he didn't have his cigarettes was a bad idea all in itself.

Franky was no where to be seen. He was most likely downstairs working on a project. He had run out of cola and was working on tangerine juice, so his attitude was different than it would be. And health-freak Franky was scary to be around, if you were Usopp or Chopper, anyway. He kept himself occupied so that he would not bother anyone, which was only a plus during this famine of food on the Thousand Sunny.

Brooke played the piano to calm moods every so often, but as of this moment, he was sitting next to Chopper on deck, and the two were playing cards. Chopper was losing against Brooke in their game of Go Fish. "Got any threes?"

"Yohohooooo! Gooohohohooo fish!" Brooke's mood could make anyone happy. Chopper could not help but laugh and pick a card up from the pile in front of them.

Usopp was standing in the crow's nest, looking out of the open window. He solemnly sighed and bowed his head. Why did bad things happen to them? First, the crew had to deal with Kuma at Thrillar Bark, and then they ran out of food! Usopp slammed his hand against the window sil. If only he had been stronger, then bad things wouldn't have happened! The crew had already put this behind them, but not Usopp. He dwelled on these things for a long time, because it was how he was. Until he got stronger, he worried about the things he had screwed up on. Usopp turned, and looked to his bag on the floor. Perhaps Sogeking should come back. Maybe then he could pretend that he was stronger. As he made a fist, he looked back outside, and his eyes widened. A large smile filled his face. He pointed out, and began to scream at the top of his voice, "Land! Land Ho!" It was loud enough for all the members of the crew to hear.

Chopper and Brooke looked up to see Usopp hanging out the window. Then, they looked to where he was pointing. Chopper rushed over to the railing of the ship and smiled wide. "Yay! Land! FOOD!" Brooke stood next to him and laughed his signature laugh. Nami soon joined them, looking out to the island in the distance. She looked up to the sky, then to her log post.

"It shouldn't take long," Nami said with a large smile on her face. She grabbed onto the railing and laughed, maybe luck was on their side. "Land ho!"

Zoro sat up from his spot on the floor in the galley. He yawned and scratched his head. "Do you two hear that yelling?" He began to get up from the floor. Sanji was very close to bashing in Luffy's head with a rolling pin at this point. As Sanji brought the pin down, Zoro grabbed his arm. "Stop that, cook. Listen."

Luffy, who was holding his head at that point, blinked and looked toward the door. Was that what they thought they heard? Luffy jumped up from the seat at the table, rushing to open the door. Once the door was open, they heard the cheering of the crewmates on the deck. Sanji passed a look to Zoro, who smirked at him, before the two pushed Luffy outside. They then ran for the railing.

"Last one there pays for the meal!" Sanji called out as they jumped over the railing. With a splash, the two were in the water and already swimming toward the island. Luffy ran up to the railing, ready to jump over, but Nami stopped him.

"You can't swim, dumbass!" She yelled and bopped him on the head.

"MEAT!" Luffy yelled, then looked back to Nami. He winced and put his hands on his head. "Ow, Nami! That hurt!" He pouted. Nami put a hand over her face, and then looked out to Sanji and Zoro, "You two be careful! Stay at the docks so we don't lose you!"

Usopp blinked, seeing the two specks swimming down below, and realized what they were doing. He grabbed his bag and put it over his shoulder before jumping from the crow's nest. He held his nose and fell right in front of the railing. Nami shielded her face from the water, while Luffy whined out. "No fair! Usopp can go, too!"

As Usopp resurfaced, he looked up at Luffy. "Haha! Don't worry, Luffy! I'll save you some food!" He laughed and began to swim after Zoro and Sanji. "Hey, you guys! Wait up for me!"

Chopper sat next to Luffy on the railing, and the both began to yell things out to the three of them. Nami sighed and shook her head and ordered the rest of them around so that they could get the ship to the island as fast as possible.

Once the crew arrived at the port, Brooke opted for staying to watch the ship, because he didn't exactly need to eat. Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp had been waiting for the others at the docks, and as soon as the rest of the crew (minus Franky, who was still downstairs at the time) departed from the boat, they decided to make it a foot race on who could get to a restaurant first. Nami thought they were all idiots and followed the running idiots with Robin; they were walking.

The _Mugiwara Kaizoku_ ate together like animals. They were eating the restaurant out of all its food. There was laughter and yelling, but they were having a good time.

Then the door of the restaurant opened slowly. The crew looked over to the low creaking sound. All was quiet as they saw a very pissed off Franky. He was fuming. A scowl was on his face, but his sunglasses hid his eyes. His hair was curled like a tangerine leaf. Something told the crew that the tangerine juice fed to his anger. "YOU GUYS LEFT ME ON THE SHIP!" yelled Franky. He stomped toward the table.

"We diiiid?" Luffy blinked, ending the dreaded silence. Then he began to laugh, "Oops! You're here now, though, Franky! Come on! Dig in, there's a lot of meat!" Luffy had a large smile one his face with his meat filled cheeks.

Franky took off his sunglasses and glared at Luffy, but then he too laughed and sat down next to his captain. "I can't stay mad at you guys!"

"You better not, we're your _nakama_! Now eat, Franky. You must be starving." Sanji raised his hand to the waitress. She nodded and walked off to the kitchen to get a plate of food for Franky.

Robin smiled, "Well, we can easily say that Shipwright-san arrived here last."

Zoro, who had been meditating against the wall, opened an eye and smirked. Sanji looked to Franky with a sly grin. Luffy's eyes brightened. Usopp and Chopper clapped their hands together and laughed. Franky gave them a grim look, "Wha-?"

"We made a deal. Last one to get to the restaurant will have to pay for the meal." Zoro said smugly, his eye focused on the cyborg.

Franky's face dropped to the floor, "It's not my fault!" But, all he got was laughter as his reply. After the waitress brought him his cola, he laughed, "You guys are damned lucky you're _nakama_!"

The crew laughed. Luffy put a hand on Franky's shoulder with a large smile. Franky was about to dig in to his when Luffy's hand found its way onto his plate. Franky's eyes widened and he shoved the fork into Luffy's hand, "_Oi_! That's mine!" Luffy didn't care that his hand was stuck under the fork and somehow managed to pull the food away. The crew watched Franky and Luffy with cheerful faces.

They were a family. A family whose bonds would be soon tested.

* * *

"Guignol-sama! GUIGNOL-SAMA!" Guignol Teishu looked down from his throne as a man came running into his throne room. He raised his eyebrow and stared at the man before him. Suji Riyousha, his right hand man, was panting. He got down on one knee and tried to catch his breath.

"What is it, Suji-san?" Guignol asked in his deep, malicious tone. He was the king of _Ningyou Shima_, the island of Puppets, where our heroes were docked.

"_Kaizoku_! _Kaizoku_ are on the island!" Suji looked up to his king, a worried look upon the young man's face. "And not just any pirates! It is the Straw Hat Pirates!" His words were awesome; he was truly in fear, but at the same time, was full of excitement.

"Mugiwara, eh? You mean the man that is worth 300,000,000?" Guignol seemed impressed for a moment. A smirk then slowly formed upon his face.

"Yes, my lord! The man who took down Enies Lobby is here on our island!" Suji exhaled, and slowly rose to his feet. The smirk on his lord's face worried him even more than the pirates did.

"… Invite him here." Guignol said dully, "And send Asaito to me." He waved his hand toward the door. As Suji left, Guignol thought of a devious plan. He could use that man for his collection. The rest of the crew would be an extra.

Suji opened the doors of the throne room and ran out. "Where would Asaito-san be?"

"M'right here, Suji … No need to look for me." Asaito was standing on the wall next to the doors, his eyes locked onto the running idiot before him. Suji skidded from his run and slammed face first into the floor. He looked up to Asaito.

"Don't do that, Asaito-san!" Suji pouted and slowly got up onto his feet. He brushed off his clothes and began to speak again, "Guignol-sama wants you to go to him. He wants me to welcome pirates into the palace." He looked slightly worried still, then looked away from his partner.

"Very well. He-he-heeee." Asaito nodded to Suji, not taking acknowledge of the fact that he had scared the crap out of his thin friend. He turned to walk into the king's throne room. As, he entered the doors, Guignol was smirking again. Asaito smirked as well and crossed his arms. "My lord?"

"You know what to do, Asaito. Get the rooms ready for our visitors." Guignol's face was shadowed over by the crown upon his head.

"Of course, my lord. Our guests deserve the best of arrangements." He bowed at the waist and left his king alone. Asaito already knew of his lord's plan, for they had done this plan so many times before.

"Monkey D. Luffy, eh?" Guignol said aloud to no one but himself. He had acquired the wanted poster from one of his servants who had been in the room at the time of Suji's entrance. His eyes were locked upon the smiling man. "An excellent person for my collection indeed. The will of D will have nothing on my power. Bring me some excitement, Mugiwara, I'm waiting for you!" He stood, throwing the wanted poster ahead of him. His hand swung out, and the wanted poster was sliced into tiny pieces. Guignol laughed darkly and watched the pieces slowly fall to the floor.

There was something indeed wrong with this island.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope that this is a better Chapter 1 than the last one I had up. This story is a lot of fun to write. I hope you all enjoy this story.

-Water Sage.


	2. Suji and the Forest of Disaster!

One Piece

Adventure at Ningyou Shima!

Chapter 2

Running into Suji and the Forest of Distaster

Luffy joyfully left the restaurant with Chopper and Usopp. Usopp tapped Chopper on the shoulder and yelled, "Tag, Chopper! You're it!" Usopp immediately ran off with Luffy. Chopper was confused at first and then laughed. The small reindeer ran after his laughing nakama.

Sanji quickly walked over to Nami and Robin. He offered to help them up. Nami just got out of her seat while Robin politely refused Sanji's offer. Sanji bowed to them with some compliments and then pushed both of their chairs underneath the table. Franky was grumbling as he looked around for money in his robotic stomach. "Didn't even get to eat and I have to pay the bill ..." Zoro laughed lighly, getting up from his seat. He walked over to Franky and put his hand on Franky's shoulder.

"Thanks for paying," Zoro smiled at him. Franky sighed and returned the smile. "Like I said before, I can't stay mad at you guys." Franky told Zoro. They began to walk out - Franky never paid! Franky snickered to himself. Of course, no one noticed ...

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy laughed while running around. Usopp was right behind him, laughing hard. Chopper wasn't far behind them, however. "I'm gunna get you!" The reindeer yelled, laughing.

Suddenly, Luffy smashed face first into a stranger. The stranger (actually Suji Riyousha from the castle) fell backward and rubbed his forehead. Luffy blinked and rubbed his face, "Gomen, ossan!" He gave the stranger a big smile and held out a hand to help him up. Usopp and Chopper stopped behind Luffy and looked at the man curiously. The stranger took Luffy's hand and stood.

"No worries ..." The stranger blinked and his mouth dropped, "Y-y-y-y-you're ... Strawhat Luffy!!" The stranger screamed and backed up. Luffy laughed, "Hai, hai! Tha's me!"

The stranger blinked lightly, looking up and down at Luffy. 'Seems like the same guy in the wanted poster ... Guignol-sama will be pleased!' The stranger grinned widely and held out his hand to shake Luffy's, "I am Riyousha Suji!" Suji exclaimed to Luffy. Luffy took his hand and smiled, "Monkey D. Luffy." And they shook hands for a minute.

"Oh! Oho! If you know about Luffy that means you must know about me!" Usopp grinned proudly and pushed Luffy out of the way. Suji stared at him for a minute while sweatdropping, "I'm afraid not ..."

"W-what!? How could you not know of the great Usoppu-sama!?" Usopp yelled, his mouth open in surprise.

"Usopp? I thought there was a Sogeking on Luffy-sama's crew ..." Suji blinked at Usopp.

"So you DO know about me! I am Sogeking!" Usopp roared, putting a hand on his own chest. He smirked at Suji, "Of course, I am famous..."

Suji's eyes narrowed a bit while more sweat ran down his forehead, "Right..."

Chopper clapped his hooves together, looking to Usopp, "Famous?" Stars were in the young reindeer's eyes. "Of course, of course!" Usopp bragged, smirking at Chopper, "They know me throughout the Grand Line as Sogeking: The Great Warrior of Sniper Island!"  
"S-Sugoi!" Chopper yelled in astonishment, the stars in his eyes growing even bigger. Luffy even joined in, gaping at Usopp. "R-Really, Usoppu?"

"Of course, Luffy-kun! You should know that by now!" Usopp grinned. Suji slowly began to shake his head at the three. 'Is Guignol-sama serious about wanting these baka?' Suji waved his hand sideways.

"Oi, oi ... Luffy-sama.." Luffy looked over to him, grinning, "Hai?"

"I have an invitation for you and your nakama!" Suji said, holding out a piece of paper. An invitation indeed. Usopp took it from Suji's hands and stared at it for a minute before shouting in joy. "WE'RE INVITED TO THE CASTLE!"

Luffy and Usopp stared at him and then took the invitation out of his hands. "YOSH!" The two yelled and joined hands with Usopp as the trio began to dance. Suji once again sweatdropped at the three. "I can't wait to tell the others!" Luffy yelled, having no idea who the king was of the island or why he was giving an invitation. Typical Luffy for you ...

"Yosh! I shall see you all there, right Luffy-sama?" Suji asked with a wide grin. "Of course!" Luffy told him in a shout which made Usopp, Chopper, and Suji cover their ears.  
"Hai ... hai! Then I shall see you there!" Suji waved, "Bye, Luffy-sama!" And with that said, Suji ran off to tell Guignol that the plans were going well.

"Oi, oi ... Shouldn't we tell the others?" Usopp asked, looking down at the invitation again. "Good idea!" Chopper agreed and looked to Luffy. Luffy nodded, "Hai! They'll be so excited!" Then, the three hurried back and quickly told their nakama the good news.

"WHAT!? You told them we would go!? Without asking any of us!? Luffy! Baka! You don't know who this .. Suji-guy is!" Nami yelled while stretching out Luffy's cheeks in anger.

"Naaaaami... Iteee..." Luffy whined, comical tears running down his face. Usopp and Chopper stared at Nami in awe.

"Bakayaro!" Nami yelled again, pulling Luffy's cheeks harder.

"Eh ... Nami-san, you shouldn't be so harsh on -" Nami sent Sanji a cold glare, which instantly shut him up. Zoro shook his head at them. "Oi, if Luffy said that we're going, we have to follow his orders and go." Nami sighed and released Luffy's cheeks.

"You're so lucky he's right, Luffy..." Nami glared daggers at Luffy. Luffy hid behind Usopp and Chopper, who hid behind Sanji and Zoro.

Robin and Franky just watched from the sidelines. Franky swallowed, "Sister can be scary ..."

Robin chuckled, "That's Navigator-san for you."

"Ara, Sanji-kun .. Where does it say this castle is anyway?" Nami walked over to Sanji and looked down at the invitation in his hands. Sanji blinked and read aloud, "'You should be able to find the castle on the other side of the island. Trust us, you can't miss it.' ... Eh, well, then it must be on the other side of the island, ne?" Sanji looked back up to Nami, who sweatdropped at him.

"YOSH! To the other side of the island!" Luffy pointed. Usopp and Chopper mimicked him, "YOSH!"

Luffy ran off with Usopp and Chopper. The others let out a sigh and followed them slowly. "Captain-san seems very happy about this." Robin commented.

"Hai, he does ... I wonder why." Sanji replied and looked to Robin. "Any ideas why, Robin-chan?"

"Well, it could be the fact that they call this island _Ningyou Shima_." Robin smirked lightly. Nami blinked. "Puppet island? Why's it called that?"

"I read it in a book once. There was a tale that the king of the island and his servants were puppeteers." Robin began. Zoro raised his green eyebrow. "Why's that seem like a problem, Robin?"

"It's said that they could make human puppets ..." Robin trailed off when Franky, Sanji, Zoro, and Nami stared at her in some awe. "Human puppets? What do you mean?" Franky asked, wanting to know more.

"They could actually attach strings to human beings ... and be able to control them. Instantly, the victum would not be able to move... and would be forced to do the puppeteer's bidding." Robin looked ahead at the running trio ahead of them. "But, it is a legend..."

"Weh ave to be extremely careful then... if what you said isn't a legend, Robin ... then we could be in big trouble..." Nami muttered lightly and looked down. "Cheer up, Nami-san! I shall protect you!" Sanji placed a hand on her shoulder, but instantly he was whacked in the head with a punch from Nami.

"Luffy! Luffy look over here!" Usopp yelled to Luffy and Chopper. He pointed to a huge castle in a far off distance. Luffy and Chopper's eyes widened, "S-Sugoi..." Usopp grinned and turned his head toward the group that was trailing behind. "Guys! We found the castle! It seems we have to pass through a forest to get to it!"

Zoro yawned and looked over to Usopp, "Did you guys hear that?"

"A forest? Isn't there some other way!?" Nami called out to Usopp. "Doesn't look like it, Nami! Gomen!" Usopp called out to her. "Damn it ..." Nami whispered to herself and crossed her arms.

"Oi! Nami, don't worry." Franky put his hand on her shoulder, "I'LL protect you." Sanji was instantly fuming and kicked Franky in the head. Franky held his head and narrowed his eyes at Sanji. "Damn eyebrows!"

"Only I can protect Nami-san, shit head!" Sanji shouted at Franky. "Can you two not fight?" Zoro rolled his eyes and stood in between them.

"Damn Marimo! Stay out of my way!"

"What was that, dartboard brow!?"

"You. Heard. Me. Marimo."

"I've had enough of you!" Zoro pulled out his swords. But before they could even fight, Nami hit their heads together hard. Robin chuckled lightly while Franky just stood there, holding his head. "Idiots! Don't fight, damn it!" Nami yelled at Sanji and Zoro. The two laid on the floor with bumps on their heads and swirls in their eyes. Franky cringed and looked at Nami. "Scary navigator..." His eyes narrowed at Nami. Nami glared daggers at him. That shut him up immidiately. Robin continued to chuckle with that smile on her face.

Luffy already dragged Usopp and Chopper into the forest. "Luffy! Shouldn't we wait for the others!?"

"Adventure, Usopp! Adventure!" Usopp began to feel those comical tears in his eyes. "Why...? Why..."

"Oh come on! It'll be fun!"

"What world do you live in, Luffy?"

"An ADVENTUROUS one!" Luffy grinned widely toward his two nakama. Suddenly, Usopp had that sick feeling in his stomach, "I have the 'I can't go into that forest disease ...'" He faked a cough and held his stomach. Luffy stared blankly at Usopp for a minute and then picked him up, rushing into the forest.

"Ha, ha, ha! It'll be fun, Usopp!" Usopp let out a whiney cry, holding onto Luffy. Chopper yelled and ran after them. The cursing reindeer fell over a branch, but soon was picked up by the bulk, green haired swordsman.

"Fun ... fun!?" Usopp whined, squeezing Luffy's arm tightly. "Oh sure, getting killed is always FUN!" Chopper heard Usopp and Luffy's voices trailing off into the forest. He looked up at Zoro, who had picked him up.

"Oi, Zoro ..." Chopper began, looking ahead, "Will they be all right?"

"Aren't they always?" Chopper turned his head, seeing the cook answer him. Sanji stepped next to Zoro, hands in his pockets. "They'll be fine, no matter what crazy thing Luffy has them do." Chopper nodded silently.

"I'll catch up with them!" The three turned their heads to look at Nami, who had her climatact ready. Sanji began to praise her, as always. Nami made sure to bonk him in the head before running off to catch up with the adventurous captain and frightened marksman. Unfortunately, going off alone in this forest was a very bad thing ...

"Luffy … Luffy … LUFFY! Slow down! Please!" whined the cowardly marksman as Luffy jumped over tree trunks and swung off branches. Poor Usopp was hanging onto the captain for his dear life. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his legs swung in the air while the eager Luffy continued to run.

"I don't see why you're so scared, Usopp," yelled Luffy happily, "Look how cool this big forest is! We could get lost in here for hours!" He stopped on a tree branch and laughed. Usopp took this opportunity to let go of him.

"Lost for hours?" It was almost if the marksman's heart stopped. He put a hand to his chest and inhaled, "Luffy," He whispered, grabbing the captain by his red vest, "We will not be lost in here for hours. I will not allow you to!" Usopp hung his head low, "Because I just caught the I-will-die-if-I'm-stuck-here-for-hours disease!" He forced a cough.

Luffy stared dumbfounded. "Oh no! Usopp! Chopper, Usopp is –" Luffy looked back. No one was there. The captain's mouth hung open, "H-Hey! Where is everyone?"

"What do you mean 'where is everyone'?!" Usopp stood straight, his eyes narrowed as he whacked his captain in the head. "You ran off, and they didn't bother to follow us!" He put his head in his hands and sobbed, "Woe is me! I'm stuck here with a lunatic … I'm going to die!"

"Way to be a party pooper, Usopp," Luffy's lips stuck out to the side, his eyes darting to the side. He then grabbed Usopp's arm, "Well, let's not just stand in one place! Who knows what kind of animals are in here to fight!"

Usopp gasped, watching Luffy pull back his arm. "Luffy, no. Luffy, no! LUFFY!" Luffy's arm extended forward, swinging toward a branch in the distance. Usopp's eyes were as wide as tennis balls. Soon, the marksman and captain soared through the air. Usopp screamed.

Chopper's ears twitched. He frowned as he looked up at Sanji, who was next to them as Nami led the way through the forest. "That sounded a lot like –"

"Usopp, I know." The cook sighed, running his fingers through his golden hair, "Nami-san! We should hurry and find where Luffy went, I'm afraid we may find them in more than one piece."

Zoro grunted, putting his hands behind his head, "Why worry about them? Luffy can keep things under control."

"Luffy's not the one I'm worried about," Sanji's visible eye narrowed as he glanced to the swordsman, who smirked.

"Bushido-san, Cook-san," Robin said, standing in between them, "Don't make the matters worse. Just let Navigator-san lead us to the castle. I'm sure that's where we'll find Long Nose-kun and Captain-san."

Sanji sighed, but agreed. Zoro stayed silent. That was when Franky spoke up, "You guys, I just thought of a quicker way to get to the castle." He grinned mischievously. Nami looked back at him, her expression unreadable.

"And what would _that_ be, Franky?"

"Well … The little doctor man can turn into a big reindeer, right? So he can run off ahead of us. Miss Robin here has that hand fruit, so she can swing herself along. Eyebrows, Zoro, and I can jump through the trees and Eyebrows can carry you as we go. You can call off where we need to head from Eyebrows' arms." Nami blinked at the cyborg. He was right. Everyone else seemed to agree with the plan, especially Sanji.

"Well, that settles it. We'll go with your idea, Franky." Sanji held out his arms, which Nami reluctantly got into. He made sure to hold her close. Then, Zoro, Franky, and they jumped up into the tree. Chopper changed into his full reindeer form, and began to run into the forest. Robin used her hands to swing from tree to tree.

"All right, guys! It seems that staying north will get us straight to the castle," Nami yelled, loud enough for Robin and Chopper to hear. Sanji and Zoro were almost in a race in who can jump faster. Franky managed to catch up with them, but Chopper was tailing behind on the ground below. He grumbled, then changed to his jumping point, and hopped up to follow them. That was when Robin put herself in his arms. Chopper was more than happy to carry his nakama so that she would not be stuck in the forest alone.

Franky sweatdropped when he saw Chopper and Robin. They had found a better way than what he had said. Franky was glad about that, but a bit embarrassed that his plan wasn't a hundred percent good. He smiled awkwardly, "So, how long do you think it'll take us to get there, eh?"

Robin giggled, "However long it takes for Navigator-san to figure out the quickest way to get there."

Sanji stopped on a tree branch and looked down. Luffy's sandal prints were etched into it. "Well, they were here. We can't be that far behind."

"I can smell the meat that was in Luffy's pockets from the restaurant," Nami said, sniffing the air, "We're definitely not that far behind."

"Good. The quicker we find Luffy, the quicker we get to the castle, and quicker I get to take a nap," yawned the swordsman. He was a bit upset; he hadn't had his daily nap today. That got the cook to roll his eyes. He muttered something under his breath that made Nami snicker. Zoro sent them a glare, and that was it. They were off jumping again.

Luffy finally stopped running, much to Usopp's delight. The marksman let out a sigh of relief, and just let himself hang limp over the captain. "What made you stop, Luffy? Worn out?"

"Nope," Luffy grinned, and flicked his friend's long nose, "Look up, silly! We're here!" Usopp looked up, his eyes widening just at the sight of the castle. Sure, it had looked big from afar, but it looked even bigger up close!

"Holy," Usopp whispered, then got off the other's back. "It's so big! That's …"

"So cool, right?"

"No," yelled Usopp. He karate-chopped Luffy, "It looks scary, damn it! You actually want to go in something like that without the others to protect us!"

"We don't need protecting, Usopp! I can kick anyone's ass who seems suspicious!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," whispered Usopp, "you could harm someone that's not supposed to be harmed." He put a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm not stepping one foot near that castle until the others catch up to us. Okay?"

"Fine, fine, fine." Luffy said, almost pouting as he did.

"Oi, cook, look out!" Zoro shouted. Sanji stopped where he was, and looked up. A broken branch seemed to be falling down, right at the spot where Sanji and Nami were. The cook's eyes widened and he hurried to jump to the next tree. Once the branch fell, Nami and Sanji watched the big thing take down the other branches. Nami winced when she heard it smash into the ground below. Sanji sighed in relief, and then looked over to Zoro and the others, who were stuck on a tree rather far from their own. He bit his lower lip.

"Thanks, Marimo." He yelled out toward him. "I owe you one!"

"You owe me more than one," Zoro replied, but it was barely audible. "Oi, Nami, what do we do now? The branch is missing, and we need to get across!"

"Use the floor," Nami said, "Sanji-kun and I will go ahead! Robin, just keep them going forward, and everything should be just fine!"

"Like hell I'm waiting!" Zoro yelled, and braced himself. He took out his swords and turned around. He began to run backward, and jumped backward. Then, he swung his swords, and the sudden speed of wind made him land on the branch that Sanji and Nami were on. Sanji rolled his eyes down at him.

Robin stared a bit confused. "I think they've forgotten about my power." She chuckled slightly, and crossed her arms. "Cien fleur." A hundred arms sprouted from the branch, and made a small bridge for herself, Franky, and Chopper. They walked across, with the small Chopper clinging onto Franky's head. Nami felt like an idiot after she watched Robin smile.

"As you were saying, Navigator-san?"

Nami blushed in embarrassment. "Let's just hurry. I'm sure Luffy's gotten himself into a deadly situation by now." The crew agreed, hurrying off.

The fun was only beginning to start, however. Suji stood in front of his king, and got on his knee. "My lord, they have entered the forest." The dark figure smirked on his throne.

"Asaito-kun, send out the puppets."

"The giant bugs, my lord? Hee-hee-heee."

"Yes."

"As you wish, my lord." With that, Asaito disappeared, and went to gather his pets. A loud roar went through the forest.

Chopper, who was still clinging to Franky, yelped. "W-What was that?!"

Franky raised his brow, "I'm sure it was nothing, little man!" Though, he was worried about his little doctor buddy.

All of a sudden Sanji and Nami screamed. Sanji fell off the branch he had been standing on, and slammed into the ground below. Nami was still holding on him. "Sanji-kun! Sanji-kun, are you okay?"

Sanji groaned, but opened his eyes and glanced up to the branch. "Sh-shit, it's coming." A giant grasshopper jumped down after them, getting ready to land right on top of them. Sanji was soon standing, making sure Nami was secure in his arms. His eyes were narrowed at the bug. He swallowed. He really did hate them. Zoro stared from the branch, scowling. Why was it taking him so long to finish off the damned thing? His brow rose while he watched Sanji running off the opposite way.

"Hey, where are you going, cook?"

"W-We'll catch up to you!"

"Stop running! I'll squash the damn thing for you!" Zoro pulled out Sandai Kitestu, and jumped down, slicing the grasshopper in half. He then blinked, as he looked at it close. "Strings … holding it?" He bit his lower lip. Robin was right, a live puppet. Something caught the corner of his eye. He turned his head, to see a shadow disappearing behind a bush. Zoro shook his head, and looked over to the cook, who sighed in relief. Sanji put down his beautiful navigator, and wiped his forehead.

"Can we hurry out of here, Nami-san?"

"I believe if we just pass those trees, we'll be out of here." She looked up to Franky, Chopper, and Robin in the tree. "You guys! Go on straight! We'll take this route!" It was way too high for Sanji and Zoro to jump back on the branches, and Nami had two strong men with her, so she wasn't scared. Besides, Robin could keep Luffy calm while they were gone. Robin and Franky nodded to the navigator, and with that, they were off. Nami sighed, putting her hands on her sides. She looked to the cook and swordsman.

Sanji was sheepishly staring ahead. Zoro had his arms crossed. Nami was surprised the two weren't fighting. "You know, I think we shouldn't have left Brooke on the ship. We could've used him to lighten the mood," Nami forced a laugh, and put her hands on the men's shoulders.

"Nami, I saw. Robin was right. That thing did have strings attached to it, but it was a living, breathing animal before I killed it. It was being controlled to attack you and the cook."

Sanji uneasily pulled a cigarette from his back pocket. He placed it in his mouth and lit it with a match. As he inhaled, he looked to the navigator. "I saw it, too."

Nami swallowed. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead. She looked up to the castle, "We better hurry, then."

Usopp impatiently walked back and forth in front of the forest's exit. "What's taking them so long?" He then looked over to Luffy, who was staring up at the sky from his position on the ground. "That's right, you're inhuman …" The marksman sighed, sitting down next to Luffy. "So, Luffy, do you think we'll get to Mermaid Island?"

Luffy looked over to him, "Of course we will!" He grinned from ear to ear, "But first we have to eat the meal here and get some treasure!" He laughed. Usopp stared at him, and then lowered his head in defeat.

"How could you be so naïve, sometimes, Luffy?"

"I'm not naïve, Usopp. I don't distrust people until they do something to hurt my nakama." Luffy sat up, looking into Usopp's eyes. Usopp looked away, staring at the dirt.

"You don't think there's anything strange about that invitation? I mean, now that I think about it, this dinner seems too suspicious." Usopp scratched the back of his head. "And with our bounties, anyone could be after us. All I'm saying is that we just should be careful."

"And we will! Don't worry, Usopp. If we are attacked, I'll just have to protect my nakama, ne? That's what the King does." Luffy's smiled was one of true innocence. And for some reason, it seemed to calm Usopp down. He sighed, and bonked Luffy over the head.

"You're right." With that, the marksman chuckled lightly, and looked back to the forest's exit, hoping his nakama would arrive soon.


	3. Out of the Forest, Into the Castle!

_One Piece: Adventure at Ningyou Shima!_

_Chapter 3_

_Out of the Terrible Forest, and into the Castle!_

"Sister," Franky said, pausing on a small branch, "Can we take a quick break? I need some cola, _hah_; I'm nearly out of energy." The cyborg exhaled, leaning his bulky arm against the tree next to him. Robin stopped on the branch just ahead of him, and turned to smile at him.

"Of course, Shipwright-san." With that said Robin sat down on the branch herself and took a rest. What amazed her was how Luffy and Usopp could be so much ahead of them. Then, she remembered that Luffy was not the ordinary captain. Her smile turned into a soft grin. Then she looked down to the reindeer doctor next to her, who was panting and laying stomach forward on the tree branch.

"Luffy is really amazing," Chopper gasped out, "to be able to get so far in this really big forest." Suddenly, as if the energy in him was completely revived, the small reindeer raised his hooves in the air and yelled. "I will be like him! Come on, let's go, guys!"

Franky laughed, "Little man, just a minute." He opened his stomach fridge, taking a look at his cola inventory. The bottles were almost finished. A scowl filled the cyborg's face, but quickly closed the fridge, and looked up to Robin and Chopper. "We better hurry. I need some cola, and quick!"

"Yes," agreed the small reindeer, as he changed into the rather _big_ reindeer. Robin slowly stood, and stretched out her arms. She crossed them, "Seis fleur." Six hands sprouted on a tree far from where they were. She closed her right eye, "Ojo fleur." The eye appeared on the first hand of the column of six.

"What do you see, Robin?" Chopper asked, staring at his nakama. Robin squinted, "Doctor-san," she began to say, "I think I see the exit."

"Really? Good! That's Supa'," Franky exclaimed while leaning to the side, his two arms smacking together, the stars on them seeming as one.

Chopper's eyes sparkled. He couldn't even express how happy he was. "Let's go! Let's go!" With that the three eagerly jumped to the next branch, totally forgetting about the fatigue they had felt moments before.

* * *

_&then_

"Nami-san, look out!" Sanji yelled as he tackled the navigator to the floor as another bug puppet came out from the shadows. Nami squeaked, and stared up at the pincer above their heads in shock.

"It had to be _bug_ puppets! It couldn't have been something I'm not afraid of!" Nami frowned, and then looked up to the cook.

Sanji put his hand on her cheek, and gently caressed it with his thumb. "Don't worry, Nami-san. I'll keep you safe from these horrid things!"

"Shut up and help me, cook!" Zoro yelled, swinging his swords around to slice the bugs. Sanji got up from Nami, and turned, ready to kick down any bug in his path. That was when a giant spider came down in front of him. The cook's skin paled. A soft whimper escaped him. Zoro scowled. He had honestly never seen the cook act this pathetic before. The cook really must have hated bugs. Zoro grabbed onto his swords tightly and raced forward, "Oni giri!"

The spider split in two and its pieces fell to the sides of the swordsman. Zoro sighed, putting his swords back in their sheaths. Sanji was just standing there like stone, his visible eye wide. Behind him, Nami began to stand. She gently nudged the cook. "Sanji-kun?"

Sanji snapped out of his trance and looked back to her. He put a hand behind his head. If it was any bug he hated most, it was the spider. "Let's go," He said in something barely above a whisper. With that, the lanky cook put his hands in his pockets, and waited for the navigator to lead them away. The bugs had ceased to come back for more.

Zoro walked up to Sanji, his brow quirked in curiosity. Zoro wouldn't ask, but he really wanted to know what was bugging the cook. He had seemed tense ever since they came here. Gently, the swordsman placed his hand on the cook's shoulder then walked forward, following Nami. Sanji closed his eyes for a minute, then turned, hearing rustling in the bushes. His eyes narrowed at the bushes, but nothing seemed to pop out. "Oi, Sanji," Zoro said, breaking the cook's thoughts. "You coming?"

Surprised to hear that Zoro actually knew his name, Sanji looked toward him, and nodded. "Yeah, just thought I heard somethin'." Then, he shrugged, and walked over to the navigator and swordsman.

* * *

_&then_

"Oi, Luffy, did you hear something?" Usopp asked his friend as he looked around. He could've sworn he had heard something. He couldn't place what it was though, and Usopp knew it sounded familiar. That was when he looked back and saw a bunch of hands coming from a tree. Usopp nearly jumped out of his skin, but then realized that that had been Robin's power. He was quickly on his feet. "Luffy, come look at this! Robin must be close!"

Luffy, who looked dazed, glanced up to his marksman. "Hm?" Then, he noticed the hands. Luffy sprang up, "Robin! Roooooobin!"

"Luffy! She's not exactly here, but she's close!" Usopp said, holding Luffy back from almost attacking the hands with a hug. The eye on the hand blinked, making Usopp jump back. "No matter how many times I see that, it's still creepy!"

Luffy laughed, "This is great! If Robin's coming, that means Sanji's not far behind! And when Sanji comes, I'll be fed!" Usopp stared at Luffy, eyes slightly narrowed.

"But Sanji's not cooking, and we just ate! Besides, we're going to a party, remember!" Even though ten minutes ago Usopp was afraid of this place, he still wanted to have a party. Parties were fun!

"Party, right! They better hurry, because I worked up an appetite getting here!"

This made Usopp sigh. "You always think about your stomach."

"I see Captain-san and Long nose-kun," Robin said, there was a bit of joy in her mysterious voice. "They're at the end of this forest." Chopper cheered, raising his hooves in the air again. Franky laughed, and jumped a bit faster. Soon, they were at the last tree. Franky jumped down with Chopper on his shoulders. They were standing directly behind Luffy and Usopp.

Usopp gasped, turning to look at the big man that just jumped down. He held his chest, inhaled and exhaled a few times, then calmed down. "Way to scare a man, Franky!" He whacked the cyborg in the arm. Franky turned, looking to Usopp, and hugged him tightly, nearly squeezing the life out of the poor boy.

Tears streamed down Franky's face, "I was so worried about you guys, man!" He let go of Usopp, who tried to catch his breath, and put his hand over his eyes. He wiped his tears. "I'm so emotional!"

Robin was lowered to the floor by her hands. She stood next to Luffy, and smiled. "It seems that we have gotten here before Navigator-san and the others." Luffy looked to her, almost pouting.

"You mean Nami, Sanji, and Zoro are still stuck in there!" He let out a big, dramatic, and impatient sigh. "Man, they're so slow!"

Suddenly, three figures raced past them, all screaming bloody murder. Chasing them was a giant wolf. The five other crewmates blinked in confusion, then turned their attention to the three that had just run away. Luffy, excited, chased after the wolf, screaming something about Sanji needing to cook it. The cook, who indeed was being chased by the wolf, retorted something very naughty, and continued to run with the swordsman and his beautiful navigator. Hands sprouted all around the wolf, and soon it was secure in its place. Nami let out a sigh of relief, and nearly cried on Sanji's shoulder. "We're finally out of there! Oh, thank goodness!"

"Mellorine!" yelled the cook, hugging the navigator, but soon hit the floor from her fist. Nami sighed, putting her hand over her face, and wiped the remaining sweat off it. The swordsman took a step away the navigator then looked to the wolf. He walked up to it, pulled out his sword, and seemed to cut thin air. The wolf was soon struggling against Robin's hands. Robin, who could not hold onto it any longer, let go. The wolf howled, licked Zoro, and then ran back into the forest. The swordsman, who was now covered in wolf slobber, stared blankly at the forest. His head began to steam. The younger crew members broke out with laughter as they looked at the green haired man. Franky even joined them in laughing. Their laughter was cut short, however, when the sound of large gates opening echoed through the place.

"W-w-w-w-w-what was that?" gulped Usopp, as he and Chopper clung onto each other for dear life. Sanji and Zoro took battle stance, Zoro's hands reaching for his katana, and Sanji's foot tapping against the floor. Franky, though completely out of cola, stood strong, with his hand on his forearm. Nami reached for her climatact. The only two who didn't seem to do anything were Luffy. Luffy noticed that the man at the gate was Suji, and waved at him. Robin just stared silently.

"It is all right," she said. "For now, at least."

The crew calmed, all but Chopper and Usopp. Though, once they saw Luffy run toward Suji, they followed their overexcited captain, and bombarded Suji with questions.

"Why did that thing chase us?"

"Why did giant bugs attack us in the forest?"

"Were they really puppets? – Wait, bugs attacked you, Chopper?!"

"Yeah," sniffed the small reindeer, "It was scary." Usopp frowned and pulled him into a hug.

"H-heh, don't worry. I'm sure Lord Guignol can a-answer all your questions!" Suji smiled awkwardly, and looked to the rest of the crew. "So, you're the rest of the crew! It's a real pleasure to meet you all!"

Zoro's eyes narrowed. He nudged the cook next to him, who nodded his head in agreement toward Zoro. It was as if Sanji and Zoro could read each other's minds. Franky leaned in to them, "I don't like him."

"Us neither," said the cook, looking back to the cyborg.

Franky then let out an exhausted sigh. He looked over to Suji, "Can I have some cola?"

Suji blinked, "Oh, oh, of course!" A sly grin filled the thin man's face. "All of you come in! We have guest rooms for you ready, and a dinner is being prepared as we speak!"

Luffy's mouth began to water, "Meat! Meaaaaaaaaat!" With that, he disappeared into the castle. Suji stared silently for a moment, before turning. "Allow me to show you the way in …"

"Don't mind him," Nami said, walking close to Suji, in case she could steal his wallet. "So, Suji-sama, is it?"

"Yes?" asked Suji as he lead the crew inside. "Watch your step."

At that moment, Usopp missed the step and fell forward, yelping as he did so. Sanji and Zoro reached out, grabbing him by his overall straps. A muttered apology was said, before Usopp grabbed his chest and began to procrastinate. He did not want to go in there anymore. Something just hadn't felt right. Of course, most of the crew with the exception of Luffy had the same feeling. Franky wanted to get his cola, however, and just stayed quiet. That was until he got some, anyway.

Nami asked Suji all sorts of questions about the island, and Robin even got into their conversation as they walked through the long hallways. Chopper, resting on Usopp's shoulders, looked around at all the paintings and statues being displayed. He rested his chin against Usopp's head and sighed. Usopp looked up at his reindeer friend. "Hey, you okay?"

"Mm," answered the doctor tiredly. "I'm just a little tired from the exhaustion in the forest."

Sanji watched them, his hands hidden in his pockets. His attention turned to Robin, though, when the archaeologist put a hand to her head and stopped walking. Sanji quickly went to her side, "Robin-chan?"

"I'm all right," Robin said, looking up to Sanji with a tired, reassuring smile. "Just a small headache." Sanji wasn't convinced by this, but he decided to let it go. He knew badgering Robin wouldn't be the best for her headache. He watched her walk with Nami and continue their conversation as if nothing had happened. Suji was secretly smiling to himself. The place was lined with seastone, but the only three who knew this were Suji, Asaito, and their lord, Guignol.

A figure came out of a door near to the crew, out came a rather large man. No, he was not fat, but he was pretty muscular. His skin was tanned, unlike Suji, who had a very pale complexion. Suji was Asaito's complete opposite. The man, who was indeed Asaito, blinked, and looked to the Straw Hat crew. "Suji-san!" He called, closing the door behind him. "Are they?"

"Yes, Asaito-san! This is the Straw Hat crew!" Suji turned to him, smiling, and then looked to the crew. "This is Asaito, the head guard of the castle. He tends to be lax, since there is hardly any danger here." Suji stared at them, giving the crew a head count. Where had their overjoyed captain gone?

That was when Nami noticed that Luffy was missing. "Hey, where the hell –"

A loud crash and laughter rang through the hallway. The six crewmates all looked to the direction it came from, and let out a sigh. Luffy always managed to get himself into trouble. "Usopp, Chopper, go check on him." Nami commanded, her eyes like the eyes of the devil. It wouldn't be a surprise if she had a cloven foot. Usopp hurried down the hall with Chopper on his shoulders, looking around for the knuckleheaded captain.

"Can he not do something stupid for once?" sighed Sanji, his eyes narrowing as he ran his fingers through his blond hair.

"He wouldn't be Luffy if he did." commented Zoro, smirking slightly.

"True." Nami agreed, lowering her head in defeat.

"I hope he didn't destroy anything of value," Suji said nervously, looking to Asaito. The bigger man shrugged, and began to walk over there slowly. Suji followed close behind, "We have to go this way anyway, my friends …" He looked back to the pirates, and then headed forward, a frown on his face.

"Oh, he's probably destroyed everything in site," Sanji commented.

"No doubt," Zoro agreed.

"It's only natural for him," added Nami.

Suji exhaled a sigh, putting a hand over his face, "Guignol-sama will not be pleased … though, I'm sure he will pardon young Luffy-san for his mistakes." Asaito let a soft wave of laughter escape him as his partner's facial expression. That Suji always was a comical guy, even when he did not want to be.

Robin looked to the wall to her right, examining the medieval knights' armor and the portraits of past owners of the castle with a pained look upon her face. She had suddenly felt so sick, like the life was being drained from her. It felt as if there were seastone around. That made something click in the archaeologist's mind. Maybe there was seastone around, because the little doctor had felt it too! She slowed her pace and waited for Nami to catch up with her, before Robin whispered in the navigator's ear.

Sanji conversed with Franky on their way to the thrown room, and somehow his chivalry-senses were not tingling. Franky spoke about things such as the new features in Sunny, since there had been many unknown things about the new ship. He smiled as he spoke, but there was much fatigue in the cyborg's eyes. Sanji noticed, and in the back of his mind, wondered if Franky was really okay.

Zoro, who was walking right behind Suji and Asaito, listened to their murmurings. His eyes remained narrow. Suji, not taking notice of him, spoke to Asaito in a hushed tone. "Guignol-sama will be extremely upset if that brat ruins his prized possessions!"

"I know," said the big man, scowling, "He could do to us what he did to Mako and Hojek." Suji felt chills run down his spine.

"They're like mindless puppets – Oh."

"So, we have to be careful and make sure these idiots don't ruin our plans." Asaito looked back, and saw Zoro, a big smile filling his face. "Ah, you must be the swordsman! You're the strongest, I bet, he-he-heeee." There was Asaito's trademark laugh. Suji sighed, nearly whacking the man.

"No," Zoro replied sternly, looking to Asaito with his narrowed glance. "I'm not."

"Oh?" Asaito's brow raised in thought, "Then who is? Surely, not the cook –"

That had gotten Sanji's attention, and he listened, cutting off Franky from their conversation. Sanji glared at Asaito, ready to kick him through the wall. Zoro replied plainly, "He may be an idiot, but our captain is the strongest one out of all of us."

"And Luffy's the most wanted, if you haven't noticed," Sanji said. Everyone could hear the anger leaking from his words.

Asaito looked back to the cook, smirking, before he looked back to Zoro. "He-he-heee, so I see." And he wrapped his big arm around Suji's small shoulders.

Nami looked to Sanji in surprise. Robin frowned slightly, and shook her head. Franky stood his distance from the enraged cook, while Zoro stared at him with a look that said 'calm down, you can repay them for that comment later.' Sanji let out a very deep sigh, and shoved his hands in his pockets. His cigarette pack was pulled out, and he placed a cigarette between his lips. It was lit, and a deep drag was inhaled. He slowed his pace; staying in the back of the group so that he had no urges to kick Asaito through the castle.

* * *

A/N: I've been putting this off for a while, attempting to figure out where I should end it. And here we go! Sanji's enraged, that's just a taste for what happens later on. Sorry I've gone missing my beloved fans. :D But, now, I'm back, and working on 4.

Bon-chan: I'm so lonely ...

Shhh. You get a cameo appearance.

Brooke: Yohohoho! Where am I?

... You'll be there eventually.


	4. The King and his Kingdom

A/N: HAHA. Thought you guys wouldn't see this until next year, I bet. Well ... here it is! Enjoy. =)

* * *

_One Piece: Adventure at Ningyou Shima!_

_Chapter 4_

_The King and his Kingdom._

Usopp looked around the hall cautiously, making sure to have a grip on his small furry friend. Chopper was still resting upon his friend's shoulders, very tired for some reason. The reindeer yawned, his eyes beginning to close. Usopp could hear Chopper's breath pattern change and tapped his hoof. "You can't fall asleep just yet, Chopper. We have to find Luffy." The _tanuki_ frowned and lifted his head from Usopp's comfy hair and looked around.

"Mm, but I'm so tired, Usopp …" Chopper's voice sounded even cuter as he spoke. Usopp had to resist hugging his little friend. "I guess I can hold out!"

All of a sudden, a large armor's gauntlet shot out in front of Usopp. The marksman paused for a moment, staring at it cautiously, before letting out a scream. He smacked it away, and nearly covered his face with Chopper's hat. Chopper frowned, looking to the armor. "Luffy, come on out."

A roar of laughter came from the armor, and, just like in Thriller Bark, Luffy was in a suit of armor. The captain pulled off the helmet and smiled his trademark smile. "Sorry, sorry, Usopp. But it was funny!"

Usopp stood up straight, glaring to Luffy. A dark aura surrounded the long nosed man. Luffy continued laughing, however, as he got himself out of the old medieval suit. Once he was fully out, Usopp snatched him by the ear and began to scold him, much like Nami would. Chopper watched from Usopp's shoulders, unable to keep the smile from his face.

A door opened with a loud creak, which startled the three pirates. Usopp's knees began to shake, and he hid behind Luffy. The rambunctious captain turned to face the door, a stupid grin on his face. "Oho! I wonder what we have here!" He reached over to push the doors more open, but he was stopped when a hand grabbed his wrist. With a brow raised, Luffy looked up. There were two smiling men. They both had this eerie sense about them, however. One looked Egyptian with black make up over his eyes, a curl at the end of each eye. This man had jet black hair in a mop cut, and wore a gold choker around his throat. His attire was not strange, however, as he only wore a white polo and jeans. He was the one who held Luffy's wrist. Usopp nearly screamed again when he saw the man and stayed cowering behind Luffy. "Oi, _ossan_," Luffy began, frowning as he tugged his arm away. "Let go of me!"

"My apologies," He said in one dull tone as he released Luffy's arm, "I did not know who was walking into Guignol-sama's party room."

"_Hai_," said the other man who was standing behind the Egyptian one. This man looked Japanese to say the most. He had crazy hair; it was long and in many strands and was a very bright red. He had some black streaks running through it which were highly noticeable. This man also had fangs, which rested above his lower lip. He did it purposely for some reason unknown to the three pirates. "I am Mako, this is Hojek. It is a pleasure to meet you, Luffy-sama." Mako spoke as if he knew Luffy like an old friend, but that was not the case. "Guignol-sama has been awaiting your arrival. Please do come this way." And Mako put a hand on Hojek's shoulder, indicating for them to move out of the way for Luffy and his friend.

Usopp still had an ominous feeling in his stomach, but he suddenly had his courage back. "I bet this Guignol-sama was waiting to meet me, too! I am the great Sogeking-sama!" He laughed, slamming his fist against his chest proudly, a deep laugh emitting from his lips. Chopper's eyes widened as he looked from Usopp to Hojek to Mako.

"He's probably been waiting for me, too, right! Hehe! I have a bounty, too!" Sparkles filled the reindeer's hopeful eyes, and he didn't feel tired anymore. There was too much excitement fluttering in his chest. Chopper hugged Usopp's head tightly, giddily giggling. Usopp smiled widely as he listened to Chopper's happiness.

Mako was silent for a long moment, creating an awkward silence between the five of them. "Ah, yes! He has been expecting you all. Please, right this way." Mako motioned for them to move in. Luffy looked back to Usopp and smiled. The sharpshooter inhaled a deep, deep breath and followed his captain inside. The doctor looked around happily.

They didn't look at the throne at first. They were looking around at all of the people in the room. There were tons of people, of all shapes and sizes. Had all of them come to see the Straw Hats? Luffy was awed, and almost ran into a crowd of people. Usopp held him back. Hojek and Mako looked at one another, smiling most deviously. "Yoko! Keiko!" They spoke together and clapped their hands. "Come over here and greet the master's guests!"

Two women walked over from a crowd nearest to the door. One woman was thin with soft, curly, white hair resting upon her shoulders. She wore a striped tube top dress, which accented the size of her breasts and the curves of her body. Her eyes were like blue sapphires as she gazed to the three pirates innocently. She stood taller than Luffy and Usopp (with Chopper on his shoulders). Her long legs were a pale white, and the heels helped her already tall height. The other woman stood next to her, and was just as tall. This woman, however, had long, flaming red hair that went all the way to her bottom. Her eyes were as green as Zoro's hair, but she wore red glasses that almost hid them. Her cherry red lips were curled into a smirk as she rested her hand on her hip. She wore a T-shirt that she knotted to reveal her thin stomach. The tight short shorts were something like Nami would wear. "I am Yoko," The red head said, and held out her hand to the other, "This is Keiko, my sister. We are here to serve you, Monkey D. Luffy, under our master's orders." Unlike Mako and Hojek, these two seemed to have personalities. Yoko had a rough, flirty demeanor about her, while Keiko was innocent and quiet. Usopp and Chopper stared in awe at the women's beauty. Luffy didn't take notice, and was only interested in the weird colors of their hair. Mako and Hojek bowed to Luffy, and then left them alone, saying that they would be back soon.

"So … Keiko and Yoko, was it?" Usopp said, wiping his thumb over his forehead. He smirked, holding out his hand, "I am Captain Usopp, fierce warrior of the seas! You may also know me as Sogeking!"

Keiko looked to Yoko, who shrugged, and smiled weakly at Usopp. "I'm sorry. We didn't expect Sogeking to be so … _cute_." Usopp's eyes widened slightly and he blushed, but that changed into a confident smirk. While Usopp was distracted, Chopper took the time to climb off the man's shoulders. He spotted a table full of food, and tugged on Luffy's shorts.

"Yeah, Chopper?" Luffy looked down at the reindeer. Usopp was still distracted, talking to the two attractive women. Chopper smiled widely, and pointed to the table. Luffy's eyes widened, and he grabbed the reindeer's hand. He dragged him off to the table, screaming "MEEEEAT!" at the top of his lungs.

Meanwhile, Usopp laughed to himself as his arms wrapped around Keiko and Yoko's waists. "I'm so glad I have some pretty girls as fans! Let's go sit down; Sogeking-sama has a lot of stories to tell you!" As he lead the two to an empty table, Keiko blushed. She looked toward her sister. Yoko gently put her hand on Usopp's arm.

"I'm afraid I must go welcome the others, Usopp-sama, but I'm sure Keiko-chan will be more than happy to listen." A smile filled her dangerous features and her hand found its way to his cheek. She leaned in close and gently kissed his other cheek. She then turned and winked at him before heading back to greet the rest of the crew. By this time, Suji and Asaito had led them up to the doors. They attempted to give a warm welcome, but that ended when Yoko pulled the doors open. "You guys take forever! Sheesh, Guignol-sama won't be happy with your tardiness."

Suji looked back to Yoko, a surprised look upon his face. "Yoko-kun! Don't worry about us being late, it's all according to schedule!~" He sang out softly, cupping his hands together. This happened to catch the eye of a certain chef. His anger seemed to disappear as soon as his eyes lay upon the woman's beauty. Suji was pushed aside, and Sanji was on one knee in no time. His hand gently grabbed onto Yoko's and a soft kiss was planted upon the back of her hand.

"Dear me," Sanji began, his act of love growing stronger by the moment, "I have never seen such beauty before in my life, my dearest angel. I would become a demon, or a devil, for you, if I had to." He kissed her hand again. His act was stopped by a rather pissed off Nami. Her foot connected with his head and sent him into the wall. Yoko was blinking, confused by the whole scene. She was flattered, however, by Sanji's words.

"I apologize about him," Nami said with a sigh as she looked to Yoko. "He can be a bit annoying when not on his leash."

"Ah~ Nami-san, you know I would be tamed for you if need be," Sanji cooed, hearts in his eyes as he began to stand.

Asaito nudged Suji in the side and leaned in to whisper something into the other's ear. The two began to laugh. Sanji glanced back at them, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the pair. They didn't seem to notice, unfortunately, and walked into the large party room. It was Yoko's turn to be the pirate baby-sitter. Yoko curiously ran her fingers through her hair before looking upon the rest of the crew before her. "Welcome, dear guests. I am Yoko. Think of me as your welcoming committee." She put a finger to her lips. Sanji found this adorable and muttered his sweet coos under his breath. Zoro rolled his eyes at this point and walked right past Yoko. She didn't seem phased; having some information about the crew already really helped her not to become angry with the green haired swordsman. The red head only crossed her arms and smiled wider. "Hmm, he must have been Roronoa Zoro." Then she pointed out each of the crew members and guessed who was who, and for the most part, she was right.

"Oi, sister, you're really good at this," Franky said and stretched her arms. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but do you have any cola I can drink?" He lowered his sunglasses. His hair was drooping as well.

Yoko nodded her head and stepped out of his way. She held out her arm, "Please, enjoy, honored guests. You are all welcome here." Well, with that said, she slowly slid away from them. She had a date with a sharpshooter with a long nose. It wasn't long before she was sitting on his side and laughing along with Keiko as Usopp told his stories.

"This place is huge," Nami stated, looking around as she stepped into the room. Franky grinned, spotting Luffy and Chopper by the food and rushed over. Robin and Sanji walked in after them; Robin was smiling while Sanji looked like he was ready to kill someone. He was unimpressed by the scene, really, but smiled at Nami's words.

"It is. Perhaps you would like to--" He was cut off when the navigator walked away from him, as if she hadn't even heard what she said. Sanji rolled his eyes and began to walk away. Robin gently grabbed his wrist.

"Cook-san," She frowned, "do not let what the others say get to you."

"Ne, it's all right, Robin-chan. I'll be okay." He forced himself to smile and then gently pulled his arm from her grasp. Sanji walked away from her and found himself walking over to a table that had an assortment of bottles on it. Zoro was standing there, a curious look on his face, as if he was really thinking about which one he wanted to take. Sanji took one glance at the brand names and picked the oldest scotch from the group. He paid no attention to Zoro as he walked away; however, he stopped when Zoro grabbed him by the arm. Sanji looked back, scowling at him. "What?"

"The hell is your problem?" Zoro asked, glaring at him, "You've been pissy ever since we got here."

"I'm allowed, asshole." Sanji spat, "You're not my mother, don't tell me what to do-" He paused, surprised when Zoro grabbed him by the tie. "W-what are you-" He was cut off; the swordsman kissed him out in public! Sanji nearly freaked. Some people saw them, and fortunately for Sanji, none of the crew had been watching them at the time. Blushing furiously, Sanji pulled away, pushing the swordsman back. "What the hell!" He swallowed, avoiding the swordsman's eyes.

"You look like you need it." The swordsman grinned stupidly before grabbing a bottle of rum.

"Asshole," Sanji muttered, loosening his tie. "I don't need anything from you."

"That's what you say, but you seem calmer, ero cook." Zoro smirked.

"Bite me," Sanji retorted, refusing to look back at the swordsman.

"I just might," Zoro chuckled into Sanji's ear and walked past him. "Just stay calm, cook. I'm sure this'll be over before you know it."

Sanji put his lips over the bottle of scotch, looking to him in mock anger. "Kiss my ass, Marimo." He would've stuck his tongue out, but he wanted to taste the hard liquor. He took a sip and enjoyed the taste. That was a good year. "Hn," He looked around. Perhaps he should mingle with the people. As he stepped forward, the doors opened once again.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, even the pirates who were guests. They stared curiously when all of the people in the room went in the direct center. Each when down on his or her knees and bowed at the man who entered. Luffy blinked, mouth full of food. He looked to Franky, "Wussgoenon?"

"I don't know," the cyborg replied, looking over the the door. "Maybe we should just be quiet."

A large man stood in the doorway, two people following behind him. From what Luffy and Franky could see, he was tall and wide but not fat. Luffy swallowed down his food and rushed over to get a better look at him. "Ohoho!" Luffy grinned. This guy had to be the king; he was wearing a great crown and royal robes. The man had piercing green eyes and jet black hair all slicked back, much like Crocodile's hair style. "Who're you, ossan?" Nearly everyone in the room gasped.

Nami smacked her forehead and rushed over from her spot at the table with Robin. She grabbed Luffy from behind, her mouth covering his hand, and stared up at the king with worried eyes, "Forgive him; he is ignorant!" She laughed nervously, swalloing as he looked down at them.

"Is this Monkey D. Luffy?" spoke the king, his voice stern and strong.

Luffy pulled away from Nami and nodded several times, grinning. "Yep!"

A smile found its way onto the king's lips, "It is a pleasure, Monkey D. Luffy, to finally meet you! I am Lord Guignol Teishu of this land you see here." He looked away from Luffy for a moment, raising his hand so the people could stand once again. All life seemed to return to the room as the people went back to what they were doing. Guignol walked right up to Luffy and snaked an arm around his shoulders. "Please, Luffy-kun, allow me to formally introduce all of my servants. They will be catering to all your needs here at my castle. And, you're welcome to stay as long as you want." He looked back to Nami, "And, you must be Dorobeko Nami! Please, feel free to visit the treasure vault during your stay." That was music to Nami's ears. She waved the to the king, bellie signs in her eyes, and smiled widely.

Usopp was up on his feet soon, rushing over to Chopper as they both looked at the king in awe. "Wow," Usopp muttered to Chopper, who nodding quickly, and they both clapped their hands together and admired the king. "So cool!"

Franky didn't seem impressed. He grabbed a cola and walked over to Robin, taking a seat in the chair next to her. "Oya, you think something's fishy about him, Robin?"

She smiled at him, "It is best to see Luffy's decision about him first, Franky-san." She crossed one leg over the other. One of her ears was missing; it was resting on the king's shoulder at the moment.

"Oi," Sanji said, watching the king in the corner of his eye, "He's the king here?" He was talking to some of the others in the room. One man smiled and nodded, gesturing toward the king.

"He's the greatest king an island could want." He looked at Sanji with this weird look in his eyes; the man seemed to be worried. "...but there is something about this island that you should be warned about." That was said in a casual whisper before he walked away. Sanji was left standing there confused before he turned his attention to the man holding his captain.

Zoro put his feet up on a table. His hands rested behind his head as he stared at Guignol and Luffy. He didn't need to move if everything was calm at the moment. He yawned and closed his eyes. When they needed him, he'd get up.

Luffy laughed, looking up to the king. "So, you must eat a lot of food hear every day, king-ossan." Guignol laughed and rubbed his shoulder.

"You bet, Luffy-kun. You'll have as much food as you'd like," Guignol lead him to the throne in the room and took a seat. He held out his arm for Luffy to take the seat next to him. Luffy did and looked out to the party, spotting his nakama in different parts of the room.

"We could stay here for a while," Luffy nodded, "we need to restore our strength." He grinned, looking up to Guignol. "You sure are nice for letting us stay here, king-ossan."

"Nonsense!" Guignol laughed, "It is my honor to serve the future king of the pirates." He smiled at Luffy before clapping his hands together. A group of eight assembled in front of them. Luffy had seen most of them before; Asaito and Suji were there, along with those two weirdos they had met upon entrance of the room, then there were those two tall girls that welcomed them in, and then there were these two smaller looking people. One of them was a girl while the other was a boy. They looked no older than himself. Both had brown hair and brown eyes; Luffy wondered if they were related. In truth, they were twins. "These are my most loyal servants. You've met Asaito-san and Suji-san. This is Mako-san and Hojek-san," He motioned to the red haired guy and the Egyptian, "this is Yoko-san and her sister Keiko-san, who probably welcomed you in," he gestured to the two women, "and these are the twins, Houjou-kun and Tai-chan." Each bowed to Luffy and Guignol upon being spoken up. The girl who was called Tai stepped up.

"Luffy-sama, I will be your guide in the castle. Any request you have, you can tell me." She was quite cute, seeming a bit timid as she spoke to Luffy. She smiled softly and grabbed the bottoms of her shirt.

"Nice to meet you guys!" Luffy laughed. He sensed no danger whatsoever, a goofy grin on his face.

"No," they all said together, "It is an honor to serve the future king of the pirates, Luffy-sama." Luffy blinked; he could have sworn he had heard that statement just before. He looked over to Guignol's smiling face and then to the smiling faces of servants. Now was when he realized that something was ... well ... _off._

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A/N: Well, hope you liked it! Five will hopefully be on the way, soon. I promise.

Brooke: D= I'm missing all the fun!

Don't worry, you'll be there soon. I promise?

Anyway, read and review!

-WaterSage


	5. All That Glistens is Gold

A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see, eh? I've had this chapter written for a while, and I'm currently in the middle of writing chapter 6. Warning: This chapter goes a little dark at the end, so you can skip over it if you want. ~

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. I just worship the ground Oda-sama walks on. (Eight years later, by the way~ xo)

* * *

_One Piece: Adventure at Ningyou Shima!_

_Chapter 5_

_All That Glistens Is Gold._

Guignol looked out to the party, closely looking at each of Luffy's partners. A smirk was on the king's face as he inspected each and every one of them. They would all be good servants to him and great assets to his collection. He figured the two with the highest bounties would become part of his trophy case. The others, those weaker ones, would be able to become servants. He'd have the chef cook for him, the two women could serve as wondrous mistresses, the human cyborg could become a centerpiece in the throne room, and the reindeer and long nosed man could become clowns for him. He chuckled to himself and sat back in his large seat, barely paying attention as Tai spoke to Luffy. He stroked his beard silently, finally turning his attention back to his servants. "Luffy-kun," mused the king, "ask them for something, anything, and they'll get it for you."

Luffy paused, thinking hard about this. A smile filled his face. "I want you to entertain my nakama." Guignol was surprised by this. He stared at the captain incredulously, before Luffy spoke again. "And-if one of you isn't busy, can I have some meat? I'm reaaaally hungry." He giggled, his grin widening from ear to ear. Each of the servants left them: Yoko and Keiko went back to Usopp, who was now sitting with Nami; Hojek walked over to Franky and Robin; Mako found Chopper; Asaito sat down with Zoro, and Suji approached Sanji; Tai and Hojou hurried to get Luffy the meat he wanted. Guignol sat there quite astonished. He never thought Luffy would be as-what was the word?-nice as he was. From the bounty, he figured Luffy to be ruthless. Slowly he found himself smiling again, for this would plan would be easier than he thought.

Franky and Robin spoke to each other about trivial things, even though Robin was secretly listening in still on Guignol's conversation with Luffy. The extra ear she had was hidden from view on the king's back. Robin smiled at the human cyborg before her, telling him about the latest book she had read, while Franky nodded and looked interested. They both looked over to Hojek as he walked over. "Hm?" Franky raised his brow.

"I am Hojek, my friends," He said and sat down at the table with them, "I've heard that you're interested in history, Robin-san." Hojek nodded his head to her, "And you're quite the builder, Franky-san. I was wondering if you would like to share stories," He smiled, but the smile was unlike the creepy one he had shown to Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper before. This smile was genuine, as if he was trying to be nice. "My ancestors were an advanced people for their time. Perhaps you have heard of them? The Egyptites."

"Ah, the Egyptites from the New World?" Robin asked, not worried by this man, even though Franky tensed beside her. Two hands appeared on his back and began to rub his shoulders to calm him. Franky sat back in his chair, eyes locked on Hojek. "I have heard mixed stories about them, Hojek-san." Robin lifted her glass and took a sip of her drink.

"Usopp-kuuun," Yoko cooed in his ear, taking the seat to his right. Usopp's face turned red instantly, and he swallowed, looking to her.

"O-o-o-o-o-oh! Yoko!" Usopp put a hand to his chest, and then a smile crept on his face. "Don't scare me like that, 'kay?"

"Sorry, Usopp-kun," Yoko smiled, leaning in to gently kiss the marksman on the cheek. Nami stared at them, unimpressed. It was obviously a trick. No one could ever fall in love with that long nosed freak. Her attitude changed when Keiko walked over and sat on Usopp's left, giving him a kiss on the cheek as well.

"Oi, Usopp ..." Nami scowled, grabbing her mug tightly. "Who's your friends?" She recognized Yoko from the episode earlier with Sanji, but she still was unhappy with the way these two girls stole her thunder.

"Ah, Nami!" Usopp smiled, remembering her presence at the table. He looked over to the annoyed navigator and laughed a nervously. "This is Keiko and Yoko. They're really nice girls. They're the-er-welcoming crew for the palace."

"Hello."

"A pleasure to meet you, Nami-kun."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Nami waved her hand and rested back in her chair. She did not like these two women in front of her. They were actually taking up her job-seducing people. She was the queen of that, especially when she needed to get what she wanted. "Nice to meet you, blah blah ..." Nami rolled her eyes and grabbed her drink, "I'm going to go talk to Robin and Franky." She left abruptly. Usopp didn't seem to notice, laughing with Yoko and Keiko as he told his brave tale of fighting the monstrous beings of Jaya Island.

"Chopper-kun!"

"Waaah!" The little reindeer turned, looking up as Mako loomed over him. He squeaked, putting his hooves over his face. "W-W-What do you want, bastard?"

"Oh! Cute!" Mako cooed, clapping his hands together. "I am here to cater to your every wish, Chopper-kun!" He smiled widely. Chopper stared at him with widened eyes. That man had been so creepy before, but now he actually seemed normal. Maybe it was just a stomach ache or something! The little reindeer doctor giggled, a sudden large grin taking over his face.

"So, you mean my EVERY wish?" Chopper asked cutely, his eyes sparkling. "So, if I wished for a giant bowl of ice cream, I could get it? No–no! How about a big stick of cotton candy!"

"I could get you a giant bowl of ice cream and a lot of cotton candy for you, Chopper-kun. Whatever you desire." Mako held out his hand for him to sit down and allowed the doctor to walk passed him in order to take a seat. He snapped his fingers, and two nameless servants walked over. "Chopper-kun requests a giant bowl of ice cream and lots of cotton candy." He said, smirking at the little reindeer. Chopper cheered as the two nameless servants walked away.

Suji walked up to the Mugiwara cook, giving him a salute. "Cook-san, Suji-san reporting for duty!" He said brightly, looking official.

Sanji stared at him silently before pulling out his pack of cigarettes. "Can I smoke in here?" He asked, sliding one of the sticks out of the pack. After putting one in his mouth, he watched Suji frown at him. That look of disappointment made the cook roll his eyes. "I'll take that as a no. Ya got a balcony around here?"

"Ah! Yes! A balcony, indeed. Just follow me, Cook-san!" The lanky man answered, motioning for Sanji to follow him. He led the blond outside of the party room and out to a hallway. "By the way, Sanji-san, I apologize for Asaito-kun. He just likes to kid around." The king's advisor burst out into laughter, "The kidder, the kidder! He likes making a lot of jokes. He doesn't mean anything by them, though!"

Suji nearly fell to the floor when he got no response from Sanji. Instead, Sanji lit the cigarette in the hallway and inhaled a deep drag. "Suji. One of the guests of the party says there's somethin' about the king over there that I should be worried about. Would you know what that would be?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the back of the other man's head.

Suji laughed nervously, glancing back to the curly-browed cook. "Worried about Guignol-sama?" He asked, laughing a little harder, "Nonsense! Why would you need to worry about Guignol-sama? The only thing I would worry about is a little too much attention and care!"

The answer did not satisfy the cook at all. He blew smoke out into the hallway. "If you're lying to me, I'll kick your ass." That should have been enough of a threat, but Suji did not seem phased by the words coming out of the cook.

"Allow me to show you to your room early, Sanji-san?" Suji replied instead, his eyes narrowed dangerously. The cook did not disagree.

xoxoxoxoxo

"Go away," was the first thing that Zoro said when Asaito walked toward the table.

The large man stared down at the resting swordsman. "You're good, swordsman." He mused as he pulled over a chair and slammed a bottle of rum on the table. "Care for a wager?"

"I'm listening."

"Whoever lasts the longest gets to fuck that pretty little blond." Asaito grinned, popping open the cork on the bottle. Zoro's brow rose.

"Pretty little blond?" He opened his eyes, glancing at several blond women in the room. "Which one?"

"Cook-san."

Zoro's eyes suddenly narrowed at the larger man. Would he really wager Sanji off like that? Could he? Maybe he felt a little emotional attachment to the damn annoying bastard after all. The swordsman was scowling, glaring at the larger man. He knew he could out drink this man, so what was the problem? He could beat him. He would get Sanji again, even though he had him already. "Mm," He agreed, holding up his mug.

Nami slid into the seat next to Hojek, her cheeks a light pink from her alcohol ingestion. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Hello! What're we talking about?" She glanced from Franky to Robin to Hojek. It seemed she had just interrupted a very heated conversation of ancient history interpretation. She blinked, eyes partially dilated from her level of intoxication.

"Nami-san," Robin greeted her, obviously thrown off by her sudden appearance. She and Franky exchanged glances.

"Oi, Nami."

"Nami-sama," Hojek smiled, glancing at the younger woman. "Would you like to contribute to our discussion? I was explaining to Robin-sama and Franky-sama about the ancient Egyptites culture. Robin-sama seems to know quite a lot about them, and we were disputing some details that we disagree on."

"Uh," Nami said, doe-eyed. She may have been smart, but she was no ancient history master. Instantly she felt awkward there, unable to contribute to the conversation in any way. The knowledge made her look like a simpleton, an idiot, and she hated it. How could she not fit in with her other crew mates? She was brilliant! "I'll just be going." She finally murmured in defeat. She got up from the table, frustration shown on her delicate features. Robin passed Franky a worried gaze, but they left it at that.

Nami ventured to the balcony outside, craving fresh air. Her frustration was getting the best of her. "How could I not get along with any of these people?" She murmured under her breath, brushing her fingers through her hair. The night was beautiful around her. From this balcony, she could see the radiant stars in the moonlit sky. A soft sigh escaped her.

"Nami-san?"

Nami turned, alarmed by the sound of her name. She exhaled a soft breath of relief when she saw Suji standing there. A nervous chuckle escaped the navigator as she put a hand on her chest. "Ne, Suji-san, you scared me." She said, suddenly smiling at the other male.  
Suji began to walk over, leaning against the balcony next to her. "I'm sorry I scared you, Nami-san! That was not my intention! I saw you leave, and I just wanted to see if Nami-san was okay." He smiled, glancing down at her.

Nami looked into his eyes, staring at the warmth and affection in them. He was content here, she could tell. "Thank you," She muttered under her breath, feeling her cheeks become slightly hot and flushed.

Suji chortled. "Ne, Nami-san looks so pretty when she blushes."

That statement reminded her of someone. She paused for a moment and glanced away, staring down at the forest on the outskirts of the castle. "Heh, you sound like Sanji-kun, Suji-san." As soon as those words left her mouth, she blinked. She hadn't seen Sanji around for a while, now that she thought about it. "Hm, I wonder where he went. It seemed he disappeared from the party."

"Sanji-san requested to go to bed early," Suji said rather quickly. He realized how quick his response was and then exhaled a breath. "He was tired from your encounter in the forest, he said."

"I see," Nami said softly, closing her eyes. Not even Sanji was around to hang out with her right now. She felt lonely, unable to fit in with the others. She had never felt unwanted by her nakama before. This feeling ate at her very core, making her think of harder times with Arlong when she was younger.

"Why is Nami-san so sad?" Suji asked, peering down at the young girl.

"It's nothing, Suji-san." Nami replied, rubbing her fingers over her eyes.

"It's something! But, I know what can make you feel better, Nami-san. Would you like to go see the garden? Guignol-sama takes pride in his garden, and I assure you–it is a marvelous sight. There are many different exotic flowers never seen before in this part of the Grand Line." Suji was beaming, his eyes glistening with emotion. For whatever reason, he made Nami feel safe. The man held out his hand to her, and Nami gently took it, allowing him to lead her away.

Zoro rested his head against the table. He was beat. The whole world was spinning around him. Never before had someone been able to beat him in a drinking game, but he had to admit that Asaito could hold his liquor. The swordsman squeezed his eyes shut, nearly ready for a nap. He could hear the winner laughing next to him, but the words he said were fallen upon deaf ears.

"Oi, swordsman! Is that it?"

Zoro lifted his head, glancing at the blurred figure. "Hn."

"I'm going to take that as a yes. Hee-hee-heee!" Asaito smirked, slamming his glass against the table. Victory was his. "Sorry, swordsman. I really thought you were the one going to win. Ne, I guess Cook-san will be mine tonight!"

A sudden pang of jealousy filled Zoro's chest, but he knew he had lost. He was the one who made the wager with the larger man in the first place. "It'll be a difficult task trying to get him in bed, though." He couldn't resist his smirk, thinking how hard it was for him to get the cook in the bed for the first time. "He's not going to be too willing."

"I'm sure I could coax him into it." Asaito said, getting up from the seat.

xoxoxoxoxo

Sanji did not know how this happened, but he was lying face-forward on a bed, arms bound behind his back. He remembered coming up with that Suji guy, and then all went black. "Mm–"

Well, fuck. They gagged him, too. He knew he had a bad feeling about this shitty place. He remained calm, however. This would surely be easy to get out of! All he had to do was move his arms and–

_Holyshitwhatthefuckwhyyyyy!_

The thin wire binding him dug into his wrists and ankles, slicing through the skin with ease. Sanji let a groan of pain escape him. Well, really, this was really just _fucking_ great. Life really did suck, didn't it? He recalled saying that he would go with Luffy–that had been eons ago. He currently wished to be aboard the Baratie again.

Sanji grunted in discomfort and attempted to get into a more comfortable position, but every time he moved, the wire dug deeper into his skin. After a few minutes, he just gave up, sighing heavily through his nose. The others would notice that he was gone soon; they would look for him…

He hoped.

The door suddenly opened, stealing his attention away from his thoughts.

"Ne, Cook-chan."

Sanji's eyes widened, and he turned his head, glancing at the door. Asaito stood there smugly, a smirk on his face as he looked down at the blond. The pirate cook stared at the larger man in fright. What did he want? Why was he doing this? He made a noise, but it was barely heard due to his gag.

"We're going to have a lot of fun tonight, Cook-chan. Hee-hee-heeeee."

No one heard Sanji's muffled screams.

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A/N: The next chapter starts the real fun. Nami's fallen for the cunning Suji, and an unexpected change occurs in Sanji - worrying the crew, but Zoro especially. ~ Please go below and write a review, huh, so I can see how I'm doing! Thank you, and see you next time!


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